The present invention relates to a safety device of the type which is used on ships and boats or in connection with mountain climbing to enable users thereof to anchor themselves at some predetermined location so that if they lose their footing, they can be retrieved by pulling on the line which connects the safety device to the anchor point.
In accordance with the prior art, the aforementioned purpose is accomplished by providing a harness which is worn by the user, which harness is provided with means for attaching thereto one end of a line, the other end of which is adapted to be secured to the anchor point. Such harness is usually worn over the user's clothing and while it performs its intended function, it does it in a manner which leaves much to be desired. More specifically, such harness includes a number of straps made of webbing which is somewhat slick, whereby said straps are slidable relative to the wearer's body and this creates significant discomfort to the wearer. Furthermore, because of the relative movement between the harness and the wearer's body, in the event of a loss of footing, the wearer may dangle from the anchoring point in undesirable positions in which there is a possibility that some of the straps forming part of the harness will be disengaged from the wearer, significantly interfering with the intended purpose of the harness.
As a result, these harnesses are often felt to be so clumsy, uncomfortable and useless that instead of using them as a matter of proper precaution, they are often left unused creating a substantial risk to one who is involved in racing on water vehicles, such as, sailboats, etc.
The above mentioned disadvantages of prior art harnesses are eliminated in accordance with the subject invention.